Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade

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The official logo for Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.

The Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on the ABC network. It is taped primarily inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, approximately one month prior to Christmas day. Past shows have included segments featuring other Disney theme parks in Orlando, Florida, Anaheim, California, and around the world. The program has aired annually since 1983, with the exception of 2000 when Disney aired a Christmas Eve "Tracking Santa" special instead. In 1999, a nighttime version of the parade was shown on Christmas Day. In the 1980s and '90s, the program was known as The Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade.

The parade down Main Street, U.S.A. features appearances of Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Chip 'n Dale, as well as floats featuring celebrities, musical performances, and highlights of events and properties at Disney theme parks and other Disney productions. Despite its now-traditional viewing status, the program could be considered to just be a giant advertising vehicle for The Walt Disney Company, being televised on a Disney-owned outlet, making the parade tradition a textbook example of fakelore. Most of the program is taped in November and early December for broadcast on Christmas Day. However, until the early 1990s, the parade was broadcast live on Christmas Day, usually on CBS, with whom Disney had partnered for Thanksgiving and New Year celebrations as well, until Disney bought out ABC in 1996.

The 2005 edition of the parade won Harborlight Entertainment and ABC the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special.

[edit] Hosts and entertainers

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2007: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; Show was actually taped over two days - Nov 30th (Friday) and Dec 1st (Saturday) 2007 in Walt Disney World Orlando FL. Regis and Kelly were onsite Dec 1st while Nov 30th's entertainment featured opening act Patti LaBelle followed by celebrities from "Dancing With the Stars" Sabrina Bryan, Helio Castroneves, Drew Lachey and Central Florida's Joey Fatone - Non-celeb dancers were present as well such as Cheryl Burke, Julianne Hough, Derek Hough and others. Jon Secada sang three holiday favorites as they danced. Following acts included "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Jessica Simpson and songs from American Idol First runner up Katharine McPhee and a special preformance from the Jonas Brothers with their new Christmas song, 'Girl of my Dreams'. The cast of Disney's Animal Kingdom Festival of The Lion King made an appearance singing an arrangement of classic Lion King songs. Miley Cyrus will also be singing "All I Want for Christmas is You." There is also a performance by the High School Musical Cast performing a new Christmas version of "What Time Is It?". Giselle from Enchanted was featured with the Disney Princesses in the parade for the first time.
2006: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland. Entertainment by American Idol's Ace Young, Kevin Covais, Paris Bennett, and Mandisa; Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana ; RBD; Playhouse Disney's The Doodlebops; Daniel Powter; Disney Channel's Brenda Song; High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, and Lucas Grabeel; Beyoncé; Andrea Bocelli; Bianca Ryan; Aly & AJ; Michael Bolton; Dancing With the Stars' Emmitt Smith; and Tiffany's dance Academy. Appearances by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington, Eduardo Xol, and Paige Hemmis; Johnny Depp and Travel Channel's Samantha Brown.
2005: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; Ryan Seacrest at Disneyland. Entertainment by Playhouse Disney's The Wiggles; Brian Setzer Orchestra; Lonestar; Vanessa Williams; Star Jones; Tiger Woods; Julie Andrews; John O Hurley; American Idol's Fantasia Barrino; Aly & AJ; The Cheetah Girls; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe's stars Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, and William Moseley.
2004: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa
2003: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa at Walt Disney World; George Lopez at Disneyland. On-street interviewer Robin Roberts. Entertainment by Disney Channel's Christy Carlson Romano, Raven-Symone, Anneliese van der Pol, and Orlando Brown; American Idol's Clay Aiken; Playhouse Disney's Bear in the Big Blue House; Jump 5.
2002: Hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa; on-street interviewer and entertainer Wayne Brady; entertainment by The Wiggles, Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Alexis Kalehoff; appearances by John Ritter, Star Jones-Reynolds and Andrea McArdle.